thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

This Thursday I am thankful for...

1) Hot tea.  My throat has been killing me lately, so yesterday I decided to whip out the ol' tea pot and make me some hot tea.  There's just something about drinking hot tea in the morning that seems to almost slow life down a little... don't you think?  Yesterday I had some green tea, but my favorite is probably just some good ol' Earl Grey... with 2 spoonfuls of Splenda, of course:)

2) A shopping day!!  This past Saturday I met up with some girlfriends for some shopping!!  We spent the majority of our day in Forever 21... I could seriously get lost in this store (have I mentioned that the F21 in Louisville is GINORMOUS???)  Nothing beats hanging out and laughing with your girlfriends while you sift through the racks and racks of clothes.

3) My photography class.  I recently started a 5-week photography class with some super-artsy people at my church.  It's an awesome class for photographers of all degrees... beginners to professional.  This week we made our very own pin hole camera (which I've never done) and actually went around the neighborhood and took pictures using photographic paper and our pin hole cameras!  It was so cool!  Next week we'll be using our own cameras to capture the people and places that make up our neighborhood... I'm hoping to share more later:)

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:

Kate Says Stuff

The Fontenot Four

First Day of My Life

A Punk, a Pumpkin & a Peanut

some days i wear real clothes.

I know that normally I only do "what I wore" posts after a week at the office when I'm forced to actually put on real clothes... but just to prove to you all that yes, some days I actually wear normal clothes (even when I'm home)... I thought we'd do a little "What I Wore Wednesday" this week... you know, just for the fun of it:)

Sunday... {last Sunday to be exact}

top: Gap

skirt: Forever 21

necklace: Charming Charlie's

denim jacket: Gap

Friday... {rockin' the sock bun}

top: Target

cardigan: Gap

shorts: TJ Maxx

scarf: thrifted

Saturday... {shopping day}

top: Forever 21 

(because everyone needs a shirt with hearts on it)

shorts: TJ Maxx

Tuesday... {lunch date}

 top: Gap

skinny jeans: Joe's Jeans (Nordstrom Rack)

scarf (in the background): Ann Taylor LOFT

So... there you have it.  Seeeeee.... I do wear real clothes!  Well, sometimes:) 

Linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy
 and Allison at Two Thirty-Five Designs

top 10 :: favorite tv shows

Fall means cooler weather... pumpkin pie... turning leaves... and FALL TV!!

Well, crazy enough... Lance and I just canceled our cable... last week.  In an effort to save some money Lance and I decided we could do without the big-money TV channel packages and canceled our Direct TV account.  (Yes, Lance canceled right before football season... I know, I was shocked too).  But turns out you can practically watch anything online these days... and heck, bunny ears still work like a charm, believe it or not.  So... thanks to Netflix and Hulu Plus (and the bunny ears), we still have our favorite TV shows at our fingertips.  Here's our top ten...

1) New Girl

I mean, how can you not love Zooey Deschanel?!?  She cracks me up on this show... absolutely adorkable.

2) Once Upon a Time

No doubt, this is the show I am most looking forward to starting back up this fall.  September 30th people.  Can't wait.  If you missed out on season one, I highly suggest you go to the store right now and buy it... and watch all of it before September 30th... yes, do it.

3) Big Bang Theory

This one's been a long time favorite of ours.  Dork or not... this show is awesome.

4) Gossip Girl

This is my new guilty pleasure.  I started season one when Lance was on his trip to Turkey... and now I'm in the middle of season two.  Too far to look back.  Yes, I know... this show is for 15 year olds... whatever... don't judge.

5) Pretty Little Liars

Okay, okay... now you can judge.  I might as well be 15 years old.

6) How I Met Your Mother

This one is definitely one of my favorites.  If you aren't watching How I Met Your Mother, then I'm sorry, we can no longer be friends.  Barney rocks.

7) Modern Family

This one always brings the laughs.  Awkward and hilarious all at the same time.

8) Grimm

This is one of Lance's regulars.  I've seen the past two episodes... and now that I kind of know what's going on, I'm starting to get hooked.

9) Glee

This show was really hit or miss for me last year... but let's be honest, I'll be checking in this season to see what life is like for the graduated Glee stars.

10) Ben & Kate

This is the one new show that I'll be adding to line-up this year.  Not sure if it will last, but the previews look pretty funny. We shall see.

Only a few of these are non-negotiables for us... but now that we don't have cable, it will be interesting to see which shows actually make the cut this year.  Thank goodness for Netflix and Hulu, right?

What about you??  Do you have any favorite TV shows??  Any non-negotiables?  Old or New?

Linking up with Angie at Many Little Blessings and Lena at Mom 2 Memphis & Ruby.

back in the saddle

Last week was a bit rough for me.  Nothing catastrophic.  Just rough.  

I'm not entirely sure why... but I think it had something to do with this...

After a week of being completely MIA, I think I'm on the up and up...  It took a massive to-do list, a few pep talks, and some much needed sleep... but I think I'm back in the saddle folks.

I'm thinking a top 10 post is in order tomorrow... maybe a Little Cat update... a "he & she" fall edition post... and I'm thinking something a little different for the month of October.

Get excited friends... we're back in the saddle.

thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

This Thursday I am thankful for...

1) Love notes.  Specifically the ones that my husband leaves me on the bathroom mirror:)  This week has been a little crazy and I've been feeling slightly overwhelmed (okay, really overwhelmed)... but this sweet note greeted me first thing yesterday morning and absolutely made my week.  I'm so thankful that I have such a thoughtful husband.

2) Paula Deen.  As in the Paula Deen buffet... aka southern buttery goodness... deep fried lovin'... home of the world's most amazing dessert bar... We went this past weekend and it.was.amazing.  I'm not sure if it was the massive amount of crab legs or the fact that we haven't had good southern food for months now... but either way it was dang good.

3) Transitions.  We have a few major life changes going on right now... new home... renovation planning... adoption paperwork... sigh... you know, the usual.  And truth be told... I've kind of been freaking out lately.  I am trying to remind myself of this post, because at the end of the day... I am thankful for these major life transitions.  God is doing some incredible things right now... I just need to remember to trust that He's got things taken care of...

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:

Kate Says Stuff

The Fontenot Four

First Day of My Life

A Punk, a Pumpkin & a Peanut

dear august

Dear August,

You came and went faster than the blink of an eye... with work travel... company dinners... girls' lunches... farmers markets... taco trucks... homemade birthday shirts... supper club... tomatoes... date nights... community group... benefit dinners... karaoke... craigslist postings... new church building... adoption paperwork... just because flowers... home inspections... whew.  That's one busy month.

Among your craziness, I've been learning a lot about anxiety vs. trust... what it means to not get swallowed up in the "to-dos" of life... the crazy work load... the stack of adoption paperwork... the list of never-ending home renovations...

August, you have been a month of newness and transition... and I'm okay with that.  Looking forward to what September will bring!!

Goodbye August... Hello September.

Love,
Julia

thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

This Thursday I am thankful for...

1) Chill time.  Last night my friend Shelby came over for dinner and we just chilled... no real agenda... just catching up over dinner and chocolate chip cookies.  And we may have watched the first 3 episodes of Pretty Little Liars (season one)... yes, I am fifteen.  What more can you ask for??  Girl time... cookies... and trashy television.  Great way to spend a Wednesday night if you ask me:)

2) Johnson's Lavender & Chamomile lotion.  The bottle claims to "melt away stress" and "helps calm your senses" ...and it does not lie people.  I love this stuff.  The smell is fabulous (subtle and calming) and it has a great powdery finish... not greasy at all.  I load up on the small travel sizes which are perfect for keeping at your desk or by the bed... or for traveling, duh.

3) Dishes.  I may not have a dishwasher, but I am grateful for the fact that I have dishes... that I have the ability to have a warm meal whenever I want... even if that means I'll be hand-washing plates and bowls for days.  I spend a lot of time complaining about the dishwasher I don't have, rather than the warm food and dishes that I do have.

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:

Kate Says Stuff

The Fontenot Four

First Day of My Life

A Punk, a Pumpkin & a Peanut

dear diary :: anxiety vs. trust

Dear Diary,

Why is it that in the battle of 'anxiety vs. trust', anxiety always seems to win out?  Are the weapons of worry and stress stronger than faith and belief?  Is overwhelming fear more powerful than overwhelming hope?  Does anxiety defeat trust?

Or is anxiety just easier?

Somedays it just seems easier to fall victim to the overwhelming stresses of life.  But in my internal battle of anxiety, am I doubting God or trusting God?

Doubt is easy.  Trust is hard.

We have been so programmed to go... and do... and fix... that the mere thought of opening our hands and trusting God seems so foreign.

Instead of, "go... and do... and fix..." 

What if we were to, "stop... and pray... and trust"??

Is it easier to hold your hand in a tight fist or rest it open?  (go ahead, try it...)  Yet, we still grasp so tightly to our "to-do lists" and "life plans" that we rarely see any room for how God can fit into our tiny balled up fists.  When I'm consumed by the overwhelming stresses of life, I'm failing to see the actual Giver of life himself.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

Anxiety vs. Trust.  Anxiety may seem easier, but trust is always more powerful.

Love,
Julia

project organization :: free the stickies!

Confession: I have a slight sticky note obsession.

Okay, okay... maybe a huge sticky note obsession.  It's a problem, really.  But I'm seeking treatment... limiting my sticky note writing... meeting with fellow-sticky-note-addicts... joining a support group.

I consider myself to be a fairly organized person... I prefer clean, tidy places that are appealing to the eye.  But you probably wouldn't guess that by looking at my sticky-note-infested desk.  My desk was at sticky note capacity.

But what to do??  I couldn't just throw them all away.  Most of them were still valid and contained information that I needed... an array of work reminders, photography appointments, adoption deadlines, and blog ideas.  One thing's for certain... I'm a visual person, no doubt.  So I needed to think of a system that works for me...

I found some old cardstock in my stash and got to work creating some quick "title pages" in the categories that naturally made the most sense for my current sticky note collection...

The categories I used were: 1)work... 2)photography... 3)new house... 4)adoption... 5)finances... 6)blog...  Yes... perfect.

Stepping back to admire my work... I'm not sure if it was the fact that I actually got to use some of my washi tape or if I was suffering from a major Sharpie high... but either way, this was shaping up to be a really brilliant idea.

Now, I just needed to transfer the gazillion sticky notes from my desk, to my new door system... Free the stickies!!

This solution works great for me right now... I'm still testing it out, but I love that everything is still super visible and that I created a system that works for me...  not the other way around.  I love that I didn't spend any money and that the whole thing is portable.  And if I decide in 2 months that this isn't the best system for me, I won't lose sleep if I end up trashing the whole thing... it's paper.  And the best part??  My desk went from this...

...to this...

Oh crap.  I still see one lonely sticky note on the side there...  Dangit. They're everywhere!

What about you?  Any organizing secrets or systems that you've recently discovered?  Or what about the tried and true systems that never fail??  Do share...

weekend festivities...

This weekend was fun-filled and jam-packed with events.  No complaints here though... I'll take a weekend filled with benefit dinners, dance parties, art galleries, and karaoke any day.  I mean, anytime your weekend starts with a delivery of "just because" flowers... it's going to be a good weekend...

 

{just because flowers}

{Nadus Films benefit dinner}

{love these girls}

{dance party}

{epic karaoke night}

{clean dishes!! ...finally}

{office cleaning... pile sorting}

{St. Vincent's grand opening & art gallery}

{first Sunday in our new church}

{more pile sorting... with Little Cat's help of course}

What about you?  How was your weekend?